Inkwell



Feb 19, 1946.

c. I A BARDEN INK WELL Filed June 8, 1944 IN V EN TOR.

DTTOE/Y v5 Patented Feb. 19, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT 'OFFICE 2,395,030 "INKWELL Clifiord 'A. Barden, Oberlin, Ohio Application June 8; 1944, Serial No. 539,291

8 Claims. This invention relates to bottles, and more particularly to ink bottles of the type wherein an auxiliary ink reservoir is provided in the upper portion of the bottle .for convenience of access to the pen of a writer, even though the supply of ink within the bottlemay "be considerably depleted. V

It is the general purpose and object of my invention to provide a bottle of this character wherein the pen may be inserted into the auxiliary reservoir, with the portion of the pen holder adjacent to the point resting on top of the inner wall of the upper compartment, without liability of smearing with ink this portion of the pen holder as well as the portion of the pen point adjacent thereto.

A further object of my invention is to provide a "bottle of this character with an auxiliaryreservoir so constructed that, when the cover is secured to the bottle, the said reservoir will not be emptied when the bottle is tilted or inverted. A still further object of my invention is to provide a bottle of this character wherein ink within the auxiliary reservoir will be prevented from spilling or being thrown over the top of the bottle when the latter is suddenly jarred or shifted.

lI accomplish the foregoing objects ,in and through the construction and arrangement of parts shown .in the drawing hereof wherein Fig. 1 represents a central sectional view through a bottle. constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 a sectional 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3a view, similar to Fig. 1, showing the major portion of an ink bottle similarin all respects to that shown in Fig. 1', except as to the manner of forming the combined inner and bottom wall of the auxiliary reservoir; and Fig. 4 a view, similar to Fig. 3, showing a modification of the invention illustrated in Fig. 3.

Describing by reference characters, the parts shown in Figs. 1 and 2, I'O denotes the external wall of an ink bottle, the same being shown as provided with an externally bulged portion extending therearound adjacent to the top thereof, for a purpose to be described, and also being provided, above this bulged portion, with an externally threaded neck l2 for the reception of a cover l3, having an internally threaded skirt l4 whereby the cover may be tightly fitted upon the top of the bottle. l5 denotes generally a metering element which is fitted within the bottle intermediate of the top and bottom thereof and which is of inverted funnel-like formation, the said element comprising a wall the upper portion view taken on the line l6 whereof is substantially cylindrical and which merges with an upwardly concaved portion ILthe bottom of which is shown as fitting within a groove l8 extending around the interior of the bottle above the bottom thereof. The wall portion I6 is provided with overflow notches l9 extending downwardly from the top thereof.

The metering element l5 may be made of plastic or other material possessing resiliency whereby, when inserting the same through the open top of the bottle, the bottom may be defiectedihwardly sufficiently while moving it along the inner surface of the bottle to enable the edge of the bottom to be sprung thereafter into its seat in the groove l8.

If desired, an additional support for the bottom of the metering element may be formed by providing the bottle with a short inwardly extending rib 20, located immediately below the groove I8.

Reference is made hereinbefore to the outwardly projecting annular bulge H. In molding the bottle, the interior of this bulge is provided ink in the auxiliary understood.

with an annular recess 21 extending outwardly from a point above that'at which the level of reservoir is maintained by the notches I9, the recess being overhung by an annular downwardly projecting lip 22, substantially parallel to the normal level of liquid in the said auxiliary reservoir. This construction will prevent ink from being thrown out of the open bottle, as by jarring or suddenly shifting the position of the same.

With the parts constructed and arranged as described, it is believed that the operation and advantages of my construction can be readily l3 in place, the auxiliary ancan be filled by inverting the With the cover nular reservoir A bottle and thereafter restoring it to its original position. The ink, after such reversion, will fill the auxiliary reservoir A to the level defined by the bottoms of the notches Hi. This will enable the operator to rest the lower end of his pen holder upon the top of the wall I6 without liability of smearing the same and the upper portions of the pen point with ink, since the meniscus formed by the contact of the ink with the wall I6 cannot extend above the notches IS. The

advantages of the groove or recess 2| and the overhanging lip 22 have been explained heretofore. By providing the metering element with a centrally located channel or passage for the delivery of ink from the body of the bottle into the auxiliary reservoir A, it will be impossible to empty the reservoir by inverting the bottle, with the cover in place.

In Fig. 3 there is shown a modification of my invention wherein the metering element 15 is molded with the bottle itself, in which case the parts Ili H and I9 are identical in shape with the parts It, I1 and 19 of Figs. 1 and 2 but are integral with the body of the bottle.

In Fig. 4, I have shown a modification of my invention wherein the upper portion I6 of the wall'of the metering element projects toward the inner wall of the ink bottle while the bottom portion of the wall of said element is inclined from the horizontal, the highest part of the said bottom portion being shown at I'l and being overhung by the upwardly projecting portion of the metering-element wall. The lower portion of the wall of this element is provided with a capillary opening 23. The upper portion of the bottle is constructed in the same manner as shown in Fig. 1.

The advantage of inclining the upper portion of the metering element toward the inner wall of the ink bottle is that it enables the user to have access to a large area at the top of the ink which is retained above the bottom portion of the wall of the metering element; and the upward inclination of the wall, as shown at facilitates the flow of ink from the narrow space overhung by the upwardly extending portion of the wall to the large space, having a wide upper area, on the opposite side of said wall. The capillary opening 23 provides a vent through which air can pass from the chamber A when the bottle is inverted for the purpose of enabling the said chamber to be filled. The fact that this opening is of capillary size will prevent the ink from returning from the said chamber to the portion of the bottle therebelow when the bottle is reverted.

Having thus described my claim is:

1. A bottle adaptable for the purpose set forth, the same having an ink-metering element interposed between the top and bottom of the interior thereof, the said metering element comprising a continuous wall of inverted funnel-like formation and comprising an outwardly flaring bottom portion, supported at its periphery by the inner surrounding wall of the bottle, and a hollow substantially cylindrical neck-like upper portion, the said metering element forming an auxiliary reservoir with the portion of the bottle which surrounds its upper surface, the top of the metering element being spaced from the top of the bottle to provide, with the cover of said bottle, means by which the auxiliary reservoir surrounding the metering element may be filled.

2. A bottle adaptable for the purpose set forth, the same having an ink-metering element interposed between the top and bottom of the interior thereof, the said metering element comprising a continuous wall of inverted funnel-like formation and comprising an outwardly flaring bottom invention, what I the top of the metering element portion, a. hollow neck-like upper portion, the bottle being provided within its inner surface with a ledge extending therearound for the reception and support of the periphery of the bottom portion of the said element, the neck of the said element providing a passage extending therethrough for the passage of ink from the bottom of the bottle to the auxiliary reservoir formed between the external wall of the metering element and the internal wall of the bottle, the top of the metering element being spaced from the top of the bottle to provide, with the cover thereof, means by which the auxiliary reservoir surrounding the metering element may be filled and the top of the metering element being provided with one or more notches extending downwardly therefrom and defining the upper level of the ink in the auxiliary reservoir.

3. In the bottle recited in claim 1, the metering element having one or more notches extending downwardly from the top thereof and defining the upper level of the ink in the auxiliary reservoir.

4. In the bottle recited in claim 2, the ledge being formed by a supporting rib 'and the bottle being provided with a recess extending around the inner wall thereof above said rib.

5. In the bottle recited in claim 1, the wall of the metering element being provided with a capillary opening in the lower portion thereof.

6. A bottle adaptable for the purpose set forth, the same having an ink-metering element interposed between the top and bottom of the interior thereof, the said metering element comprising a continuous wall of funnel-like formation havin an outwardly flaring bottom portion secured to the interior of the bottle and an upwardly extending hollow neck portion, the said upwardly extending neck portion projecting in proximity to the inner wall of the ink bottle and overhanging the outwardly flaring bottom portion therebeneath, the said metering element forming an auxiliary reservoir defined by the external wall of said metering element and the internal wall of the bottle above the bottom of said element, being spaced from the top of the bottle to provide, with the cover ofsaid bottle, means by which the auxiliary reservoir surrounding the metering element may be filled through the said neck portion.

'7. In the bottle recited in claim 6, the bottom portion of the continuous wall which is overhung by the upwardly extending portion thereof being inclined downwardly toward the opposite side of said bottom portion,

8. In the bottle recited in claim 1, the bottle having an outwardly projecting recess extending therearound above the level of liquid maintainable by'the top of the metering element, there being a downwardly and inwardly extending rib defining the top of said recess and being above and substantially parallel with the normal level of liquid in the auxiliary reservoir. 7

CLIFFORD A. BARDEN. 

